PEOPLE OFTEN CONFUSE joy with happiness, thinking they are the same thing. They are not. Happiness depends on external things. We’re happy when we get a new car or a new house. We’re happy when our favorite sports team wins a game, or we come across a sale at a clothing store.
Joy comes from within and is not based on circumstances. It is something we choose to express. And it’s an attitude that comes from the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT) says, “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” With the Holy Spirit working in us, it’s easy to practice the fruit of the Spirit. He is the One Who enables us to have joy.
For many of us, however, our joy thermometer is based on what is happening in our lives. If we have a bad day or people at work frustrate us, we lose our joy.
When that happens, it is evident that the Holy Spirit is not working in us. If He were, we would have joy despite our circumstances. It’s the Holy Spirit in us Who produces and maintains the joy that exuberates from us.
How does He do that? John 15:1–2 (NLT) says, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”
For us to produce the fruit of the Spirit—joy included—we have to be pruned. The word prune means “to cut away what is unwanted.” I call these unwanted things “joy stealers.” By pruning these things from our lives, we can maintain joy.
When people know and confess who they are in christ and take advantage of that fact, they cannot fail in their christian life.
NUMBER ONE: DISCONTENTMENT
Sometimes we get discontented with where we are in life. We thought we would reach our goals sooner. We thought we would live in a bigger house, own a new car, or be in a better financial situation.
Paul says in Philippians 4:11 (NLT), “For I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.” That doesn’t mean we have to stay where we are. But it does mean that wherever we are in life, we need to be content. God knows what He is preparing us for, but His plan rarely has shortcuts. It’s not a microwave plan; it’s a crock-pot plan.
NUMBER TWO: OFFENSE
Joy can evaporate when conflict between ourselves and another person goes on and on. When offense occupies our minds and emotions, we have little time left over for God. Hebrews 12:14 encourages us to “work at living in peace with everyone” (NLT). We must choose not to get offended. If we do not let go of offense, it will envelop us.
NUMBER THREE: UNFORGIVENESS
Do people hurt us? Absolutely. Do people betray us? Yes, they do. But God’s Word commands us to forgive. Is it hard to forgive? Yes. I’m not going to say it’s easy. However, unforgiveness only hurts us. It does not hurt the offender. On the other hand, forgiveness takes away the power the offender has in our life.
NUMBER FOUR: COMPARISONITIS
Comparing yourself to someone else can cause you to have low self-esteem. But guess what? God doesn’t make clones. He wants you to be you. Jeremiah 1:5 (MSG) says, “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.” So don’t copy somebody else’s plans because God hasn’t given you the grace for those plans.
NUMBER FIVE: ANXIETY
God is in control, and He will take care of us. We don’t need to be anxious about anything. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Our Heavenly Father is working for us and will cause all things—regardless of what they are—to turn around for our good.
Life will always bring us challenges. The Apostle Paul never lost his joy in any of the trials he faced. What was his secret?
- Paul continually grew in the Lord. Philippians 3:8 (AMPC) says, “I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him.”
- Paul forgot the past. “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13–14 NKJV).
- Paul did not let circumstances move him. Paul knew by the Holy Spirit that chains and tribulations awaited him in Jerusalem. But he said, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24 NKJV).
- Paul purposely declared joy and dwelt on proper thoughts. He said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4 NKJV). And he added, “Finally, . . . whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8 NKJV).
When joy stealers come, we must meditate on the good things. And we must be full of God’s Word. So instead of talking about what is happening, we must let the Word come out of our mouths.
When bills are piling up, we say, “My God will supply—not just part—but all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
When sickness attacks, we boldly declare, “By His stripes, I am healed!” (Isa. 53:5). When fear tries to grip us, we tell the devil, “God has not given me a spirit of fear” (2 Tim. 1:7).
The enemy can’t steal our joy when the Word comes out of our mouth and the Holy Spirit bubbles up from inside us. For it is His joy that fills our joy!
Author
Lynette Hagin
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